March 09, 2019

A Textile Mills Romance: Alexander McQueen A/W 19

"Rose is a rose is a rose is a rose", wrote Gertrude Stein in "Sacred Emily", but Sarah Burton at Alexander McQueen didn't have in mind this particular poem when she started working on the maison's A/W 19 collection, characterised by motifs of roses.

Everything started with Burton taking her team to the North of England and to the mill towns such as Huddersfield, Leeds and Macclesfield, where she was born and where she grew up.

Their trips were evoked by the fabric rolls from textile mills (the same fabrics employed for this collection) used as seats for the guests at the McQueen runway show, that took place during Paris Fashion Week.

A bolt of fabric was indeed the starting point for this collection as proved by the opening looks, sharply linear tailored suits with a draped half-skirt element spilling from the waistline and trailing sensually like in a Haute Couture gown, its selvedge including a key detail conceived as a slogan or a statement - "Made in England".

At times the suits came in a thick grey flannel, at others in pinstripes, they looked classic and timeless, but deconstructed and reconstructed with a punk and rebel woman in mind. They were indeed characterised by asymmetric effects and draped elements that contributed to elongate the silhouette.

This section of the collection had one main aim – prompting people to think about unadorned craftsmanship, that is elegant pieces made with hand-made traditional textiles. Burton explored through these designs the dichotomies between industrial machines and mechanisation processes Vs hand-made pieces, and the juxtaposition of two contrasting worlds - the factory and nature.

In some cases Burton's coats verged towards the military style, but a Prince of Wales check that was partially covered in swirling three-dimensional rosettes introduced the sustainability issue as it was made upcycling selvedge off-cuts picked from the cutting room floor.

Masculine tailoring was then contrasted with the rose theme, evoking nature, femininity, but also other English themes including the War of the Roses and local festivals such as rose queen parades, the flowers appeared as prints in red or electric blue (a reference to Boudicca, maybe?) on darkly romantic dresses.

But there were also variations on the romantic tough mood, with leather dresses with delicate cut outs along the edges and leather suits with full skirts evoking high fashion designs, while biker jackets were matched with soft knitted skirts constructed with a multi-layered petal effect.

White dresses such as one that seemed kept together by rows of buttons rather than seams, and a white poplin dress with a fraying rose at the shoulder were maybe references to suffragette white and to Emmeline Pankhurst, born in Moss Side, Manchester.

Towards the end of the collection roses assumed a stronger three-dimensional quality: fabric was sculpted Capucci-style and transformed into intricate swirling rose-like shapes on puffed taffeta dresses in black, fuchsia or red or formed floral vortices blooming along the satin sleeves of a black jacket.

These were essentially red carpet looks together with the blue ruffled evening dresses, or the net shirt covered in sparkling re-purposed earrings.

Yet even these designs featured references to factories: one silver dress seemed made with long metallic elements that were actually the needle-like heddles used in looms employed as if they were sequins (the noise made by the model wearing the dress was supposed to recreate the sound of the machines in a factory).

Burton included in the runway women with sensual curves, and this contributed to give you an idea of what these couture-like designs may look like not just on your average actress or celebrity, but also on real women.

As a whole this collection was consistent with Burton's previous ones, but it was also more personal and characterised by that same passion for history that the late Alexander McQueen had.

Everything was perfect and a lot of the collection desirable, but one thing was missing - a healthy dose of anger at issues such as factories closing down and traditions getting lost (without forgetting that England may end up being cut off from the rest of Europe if Brexit ever comes; it is worth remembering that, while the fabrics used to make some of the designs stated "Made in England", McQueen is produced in Italy and the future may be uncertain for British companies manufacturing in Europe after Brexit?).

The missing anger meant the collection lacked in emotional value, but remained a clever juxtaposition of industry and nature, tough and romantic moods, with models looking like warriors à la Boudicca dressing to go to war clad in empowering gowns and in dangerous boots covered in needles, but never actually joining the battle.